


Biology Class

by inthenetherworld



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Soulmates, are they soulmates??, barbara is a nerd, delia is a cheerleader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25984528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inthenetherworld/pseuds/inthenetherworld
Summary: Highschool/Soulmate AU. Delia is a cheerleader at her school and Barbara is the shy nerd who just moved to a new school. Both girls have yet to see any signs of their soulmate. At least until they meet each other.
Relationships: Delia Deetz/Barbara Maitland
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	Biology Class

17 years old. Captain of the cheerleading squad. Probably more likeable than she should be. Desperate teens lining up just for a glance their way—or if they’re lucky, a wave. A ride or die friend group and all of the popularity she could hope for. Delia Schlimmer had it all.

“DELIA KATHERINE, get a move on! If you’re not down here in three, I’m leaving. You know the rules…”

Well. She almost had it all.

With so many things working in her favor, Delia knew that some parts of her life had to fall short. She just didn’t expect those parts to be the most important of all. 

Soulmates. Everyone has one. Not everyone keeps one. 

Death happens. So does natural disasters, sickness, and tragedy.

But most of the time, people just can’t seem to keep track of theirs. Some say a dull ache persists day and night until one’s other half is found. A gentle thrum to remind you that whatever you are feeling right now is not enough; that every second of the day not spent in pursuit of a soulmate is a second lost. And just when the pounding in their chest or the humming in their ears are about to tip them over the edge to insanity—they settle. 

The settlers are the forgotten ones. The individuals who couldn’t quite make it passed the finish line into an endless abyss of love and happiness. So they stop trying; either marry another settler for some mediocre companionship or be driven off the map by their own failure. Delia’s mother was a settler. And now Delia was about to be one too. 

“MOM, I’M COMING!! Alright…..godddhhuh.” Delia huffed, putting on the rest of her cheerleading uniform, grabbing a disheveled stack of homework and sprinting out to the car. 

Well, she wasn’t necessarily about to become a settler. But statistically speaking, Delia had a lot of the early signs. For one thing, it runs in the family. Delia’s mother never forgave herself for not being able to find her soulmate; so naturally, she’d die trying to find her daughter’s. And according to 17 year old Delia—all of that pressure really fucking sucked. 

While she’d never admit it, Delia was worried. By the time you turn 18, the soulmate tattoo should appear visible in the very place where the thrumming sensation can be felt. But Delia— she’d barely felt a thump, pulse, sting, buzz, or anything else that her friends had experienced. 

She tried everything she could to kickstart the feeling. She flirted constantly, meditated to keep her chakras open, and even let the captain of the soccer team slobber all over her neck behind the bleachers one day. Much to her dismay, however, soulmates were not cars you could give a little push to get started. It was a process left up to the universe. Delia really hated the universe right now. But it was okay. Because it was a Friday. And on Fridays she got to wear her uniform to school, hang out with her friends, and forget all about fate. Or so she thought.

******

“Hey! Watch where you’re going overalls….New York too fast for you, country girl?? Huh?” 

Walking down the school hallways in the “cheerleader bubble,” Delia was suddenly jostled behind a few girls to the back of the group. Being as short as she is, she couldn’t tell who fell victim to the teasing this time. All the redhead could hear was sharp laughter and a hushed stuttering from beyond the barrier of pleated skirts and sparkling bows. 

It’s not that Delia liked the taunting and the mocking..and the name calling…. and the pointing. It was just kind of part of the whole popular gig. While she tried not to participate, she didn’t stop anyone either. So when all of her friends walked off, still in a fit of vicious giggles, Delia couldn’t help but stand frozen in her place, scratching at the inside of her arm. And when the cheerleading fog of vanilla and bubblegum cleared, she was left staring down at a scrawny heap of human in blue jean overalls and a flowery button up.

“I-I’m not from the country you know… I just like overalls.”

“What?” Delia furrowed her brows as she remembered where she was. She had to lean in to realize the girl in front of her was trying to talk to her. She was on her knees as her books and pencils seemed to be scattered throughout the hallway now, people kicking them carelessly as they walked by—but the girl’s eyes remained on Delia.

“I said I’m not from the country. Like—like your friends thought…” The girl looked down sheepishly and began to chew on her lip as something resembling regret and fear overtook the soft features of her face. Delia stared on as the girl continued to gather her things and avoid eye contact. She finally got up and rubbed nervously at her shoulder before once again attempting to look Delia’s way. 

“I uhhh… I gotta gooo.” Without chancing another glance back, Delia shuffles down the hallway as fast as she can, leaving the girl to fidget in her place before being picked up by the next wave of students. Delia doesn’t stop walking until she finds a secluded nook in the wall near the library. When she is sure she’s alone, her body slumps against the cool wall—sliding down its surface until she’s sitting down. Knees curled tight up to her chest, Delia lets out a series of labored breaths before looking down at her arms. The inside of her left arm is rubbed red as a shallow vibration begins to make itself known.

****

Barbara subconsciously moves her feet along as she is caught in the ebb and flow of first period rush. Her thoughts, however, stay planted on one particular cheerleader. 

The bullying and the teasing—well, Barbara was used to that. But no one had ever looked at her like that. In fact, no one had ever really seen her at all. At Least not in the way she had imagined. This was the third time Barbara, her siblings, and her mom had moved in four years and every time only seemed to get harder. Not the saying goodbye to people part; she rarely ever made close enough friends to miss anyone. It was the saying hello to people that the teen dreaded. Awkward introductions and a lunch table all to herself. The adolescent habitat that is public school does not take well to intruders. And Barbara—well, she was as much of an outsider as they come.

It didn’t help that she had yet to find any indicators of a soulmate. In fact— any tracings of her mark seemed to be infected. The patch on her shoulder stung—but not in the electrically airy way it’s supposed to. It burns. The skin around the mark laid splotchy and irritated. 

Throwing herself into studies of everything from botany to chemistry, Barbara spent Friday nights; school dances and football games concocting remedies and solvents while her peers posed for pictures and drank shitty liquor out of a gatorade bottle. 

It had worked too. The rash had gone away and the sting subsided to an occasional tingle. Until today, that is. Barbara had thought it was just first day jitters; starting a new school in the middle of October wasn’t exactly helping the already treacherous task of fitting in. But the way that girl looked at her; through the overalls and unruly blonde locks. Through the childish eyes and chipped nail polish. Barbara felt seen for the first time in her otherwise invisible life. But it was probably just a fluke… right?

****

A splash of water to the face and a half-assed meditation later, Delia had calmed down. She had acknowledged the fluttering of her heart and decided that like most things in her life, she would try her best to ignore it before it inevitably blows up in her face. Is the cute new girl her soulmate? Possibly. Would her friends kill her if they saw her with the cute new girl? Without a doubt. 

Luckily, Delia didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. Walking into biology, there she sat right next to Delia’s seat. She cursed herself under her breath, knowing that choosing to sit alone at a two person table would backfire eventually. She took a deep breath and started towards her seat, ignoring the vibrations radiating from her inner arm.

On arrival at the table, Delia quirked an eyebrow as the girl didn’t move an inch. In fact, it seemed as if she hadn’t sensed Delia’s presence at all. She was hunched over a pair of beakers on the table; eyeing the substance within and biting at her lip in concentration. Delia thought it was adorable. 

Stop it Delia! We’re ignoring this, remember!

Delia took a deep breath yet again before stepping forward hesitantly.

“Uhh, hi! I’m Delia!! Junior, captain of the cheerleading squad, volunteer club president, crystal enthusiast but i’m not as known for that...anyway! We kind of met before. Well, you were on the floor in the middle of the hallway and I was also there! So, what’s your name?”

Barbara gaped wide-eyed at Delia, not missing a beat of her breathless rambling. She tried to speak, but it seemed that any dignity she once had was still splayed across the hallway floors along with her forgotten pencils. 

“Uh… Barbara. M-my name’s Barbara.” 

After croaking out some semblance of an introduction, Barbara mustered a small smile. With a slight tilt of her head and a sincere look in her eyes, Delia just about melted into the floor. Automatically drawn to Barbara, her body began to move of its own accord and skip its way to the seat next to her before putting on an earnest expression.

“Look… Barbara. I’m really sorry about earlier. My friends… they’re just not the most welcoming people and I—well I should have stopped them from teasing you. Being new can’t be easy; I can’t even imagine what you must be going through!”

“Well I can!” Barbara giggled sheepishly as the tension in her shoulders eased off slightly, causing Delia to smile back and lean in closer. “My family moves around a lot. Like a lot. Mean girls… cheerleaders. It’s nothing I haven’t had to deal with before.”

Delia’s smile slid off her face as she looked down at her cheer uniform, guilt filling her up from the inside out. It must have been obvious because Barbara seemed to mirror her worried expression.

“Delia! I-I didn’t mean you I promise! I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad or anything I just...gosh I’m already screwing up on the first day..”

“No, Barbara, please don’t say that! You’ve been nothing but nice! I’m the loony one here, see! These beakers...not a damn clue what they do. I saw you poking around! You know this stuff, don’t you?....Yeah you do!”

Barbara blushed scarlet before breaking out into another fit of giggles, letting a snort pass through that brought Delia into the hearty laughter.  
This is it, right? This must be what it’s like—having a soulmate. Breathless laughter and smiles that reach teary eyes. Two minutes in and Delia could have sworn she was in love. Her and Barbara seemed to be the only two people in the world. The creaking of doors and padding of feet came to a slow stop. The light chattering and moving chairs ceased to exist. It seemed like a page out of a fairytale. 

Except it wasn’t. It was real. So real that the entire class was staring at the pair—dumbfounded. Their laughter subsided as their soulmate bubble had been popped with the rough sound of the teacher clearing his throat. 

“You ladies done with your little social hour? I don’t recall it being free period quite yet..”

Delia spoke out of impulse, not wanting to get Barbara in any trouble. She suddenly realized that she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Barbara; she would do anything to keep her safe. Damn. This soulmate thing sure does move fast.

“Sorry about that Mr. Cooper. It was my fault, really.” At this, Barbara whipped her head towards Delia, shaking her head in disbelief and confusion as Delia pleaded with her eyes to just let her take the fall.

“Actually, M-Mr. Cooper. Delia was helping me catch up with the work because it’s my first day. She’s been nothing but a huge help to me.” 

“Well alright then. Let’s start class… we’ve already wasted enough time!”

As the teacher began droning on about the schedule today, Barbara caught Delia’s gaze out of the corner of her eye, winking at the cheerleader. Despite being able to manage a smirk back, Delia’s heart was on fire. 

That year, biology class nourished more than just plants, as their relationship blossomed right along with the greenery of new life.


End file.
